CALIFORNIA AB 272 seeks to lower the age at which puppies are vaccinated from 4 to 3 months. The Rabies Challenge Fund, California Concerned Dog Owners, California Federation of Dog Clubs, veterinarians, and private individuals are firmly opposed to the bill. The bill's sponsor, Asm. Gomez, & the Assembly apparently think this bill is a joking matter http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcTniW_zhLs .

CALIFORNIA AB 272, which seeks to lower the age dogs must be vaccinated against rabies from 4 to 3 month does not seem to be taken seriously in Assembly, nor do they appear to understand the health risks. TODAY-contact your Assemblymember http://www.legislature.ca.gov/legislato ... lator.html & ask them to PUT A HOLD ON BILL AB 272 -- it only takes ONE Assemblymember to put a hold on this bill. Then ask every California resident you know to do the same.

CALIFORNIA AB 272, which seeks to lower the age dogs must be vaccinated against rabies from 4 to 3 month has been sent to the Senate. Please contact your SENATORhttp://findyourrep.legislature.ca.gov/ immediately & ask them to OPPOSE AB 272, then ask every California resident you know to do the same.

RCF Cover Letter to California Senators:

April 28, 2013

Greetings Senator:

Attached is a letter from The Rabies Challenge Fund, a California charitable trust of which Santa Monica resident, veterinarian & world-renowned veterinary vaccine research scientist Dr. W. Jean Dodds is Co-Trustee, in OPPOSITION to Rabies Bill AB 272. This bill will likely be assigned to your committee this week, after passing the Assembly last week.

AB 272 would require that all dogs be vaccinated against rabies at the age of 3 months instead of 4 months. Lowering the required age of rabies vaccination to 3 months not only increases the likelihood of adverse vaccine reactions when added to other puppy vaccines given at 3 months, but also may fail to adequately immunize due to residual maternal antibodies.

Please bear in mind that there are no veterinarians or veterinary medical practitioners amongst the bill’s sponsors, Health Officers Association of California—the association consists of physicians and speak with no more authority on veterinary medical issues than veterinarians would in sponsoring a bill regulating human medical care.

If you have any questions or would like any of the scientific and/or medical data referenced in the attached letter, you can reach Dr. W. Jean Dodds in California at her veterinary clinic (714) 891-2022 , or you can reach me at legdgespring@lincoln.midcoast.com .

UPDATE CALIFORNIA Rabies Bill AB 272 was amended in the Senate yesterday (5/28/13) & NO LONGER REQUIRES puppies to be vaccinated against rabies at 3 months http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bil ... n_v96.html ".....(b) (1) Every dog owner, after his or her dog attains the age of three or four months, shall, at intervals of time not more often than once a year, as may be prescribed by the department, procure its vaccination by a licensed veterinarian with a canine antirabies vaccine ..."

The Pennsylvania General Assembly unanimously passed SB 155 putting a medical exemption clause into their rabies law today (July 3) & will become the 18th state with an exemption as soon as the bill is signed by the Governorhttp://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/bil ... e=B&bn=155 . Thanks to all who contacted legislators to help get this bill passed!

PENNSYLVANIA Medical Exemption SB 155 was signed into law by Governor Corbett July 9th & will become effective in 60 days (September 7th). Thank you again to everyone who contacted legislators & shared action alerts to make this possible!

CALIFORNIA Rabies Bill AB 272 lowering the age puppies must be vaccinated against rabies to 3 months passed the General Assembly & is in enrollment. The Governor has 12 days to sign this bill into law. Please call Governor Brown's Office TODAY 916-445-2841 (press 1 at prompt, then 6) & ask him to OPPOSE & VETO the bill, and ask all the dog lovers you know to do the same! http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/pub/13-14/bil ... story.html

The 18 states of Alabama, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Virginia, and Wisconsin all have medical exemption clauses in their rabies laws, with Pennsylvania’s Governor Corbett having just signed one into law on July 9, 2013.

Labels on rabies vaccines declare that they are for “the vaccination of healthy cats, [and] dogs,” because vaccinating an unhealthy animal may not produce the desired immunologic response. As Pfizer’s rabies vaccine labels warn: " A protective immune response may not be elicited if animals are incubating an infectious disease are malnourished or parasitized are stressed due to shipment or environmental conditions are otherwise immunocompromised…." Passage of a medical exemption clause would allow Iowa’s veterinarians to write waivers for animals whose lives would be jeopardized by or whose medical conditions would be exacerbated by vaccination, including those with past anaphylactic reactions to the rabies vaccine or those suffering from cancer, kidney/liver failure, hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, lymphoma, grand mal seizures, and chronic autoimmune disorders.

The American Animal Hospital Association advises veterinarians "...to avoid administration of any vaccine to patients with a history of systemic disease suspected to be associated with previous vaccination (e.g., immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, immune-mediated thrombocytopenia) or known to be caused by vaccine (vaccination-site cutaneous ischemic vasculitis after administration of rabies vaccine).” (1) They further recommend that “[d]ogs receiving immunosuppressive chemotherapy should not be vaccinated.” (2)

The State of Maine inserted the following medical exemption into their rabies protocol, Title 7 M.R.S.A., Sec. 3922(3), in April 2005:

“5 A. A letter of exemption from vaccination may be submitted for licensure, if a medical reason exists that precludes the vaccination of the dog. Qualifying letters must be in the form of a written statement, signed by a licensed veterinarian, that includes a description of the dog, and the medical reason that precludes vaccination. If the medical reason is temporary, the letter shall indicate a time of expiration of the exemption.

B. A dog exempted under the provisions of paragraph 5 A, above, shall be considered unvaccinated, for the purposes of 10-144 C.M.R. Ch.251, Section 7(B)(1), (Rules Governing Rabies Management) in the case of said dog's exposure to a confirmed or suspect rabid animal.”

Without a provision for medical waivers in Iowa Code Title 9, Subtitle 1 Chapter 351 Section 351.33, Iowa’s rabies immunization requirement poses an ethical dilemma for veterinarians with seriously ill patients -- they must either violate their Veterinarian’s Oath and administer a rabies vaccine conflicting with sound medical practice and contrary to manufacturer’s labeled instructions, or recommend that clients break the law by not immunizing their unhealthy pets. Additionally, veterinarians face potential liability for any adverse reactions suffered after administering a vaccine inconsistent with labeled directions when immunizing sick animals against rabies. Owners may choose not to comply with the law rather than risk their pets’ lives and subsequently fail to license them to avoid detection.

On behalf of The Rabies Challenge Fund Charitable Trust, veterinarian Franchesca Zenitsky, and other Iowa pet owners who have contacted us for assistance, we urge you to introduce legislation to insert a medical exemption clause into Chapter 351 Section 351.33 of the Iowa Code. Please contact me if you would like any scientific data on the rabies vaccine or have any questions.